


Thantophobia

by secretsidgenowriter



Series: Tumblr Prompts [14]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Love Confessions, M/M, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 16:23:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13617108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secretsidgenowriter/pseuds/secretsidgenowriter
Summary: Thantophobia- (n.) The fear of losing someone you love.





	Thantophobia

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: "Don't die on me, please."

Geno’s shadow seems like it’s a hundred feet tall as he stands in front of the headlights of Phil’s truck.

Sid is standing in the middle of the pond, stick in one hand and his fourth beer in the other.

Geno’s talking to Phil at the edge of the water, taking with his hands while Phil laughs over the cab of the truck.

Sid chases the shadow of Geno’s arms with his stick and blames the cold and the alcohol when he skates over the shadow’s chest, like that’s going to keep him here. Like it’s going to pin him to the ice so he can’t leave.

Tomorrow is graduation and while Sid has a job lined up with the Penguins, _something he still can’t believe_ , Geno’s plans are up in the air.

He never settled into his major, he doesn’t know what he wants to do, and he doesn’t even know if he’ll be staying in the states.

He could go back to Russia and they could say they’ll keep in touch but the truth of it is there’s a very real chance they’ll never see each other again.

Sid has spent four long years harboring and nurturing his feelings from a teenage crush into a full blown unrequited- _he’s the love of my life_ \- love affair and now Geno could be on a plane back home as early as forty eight hours from now.

He finishes the rest of his beer and crushes the can before he drops it at his feet.

Tanger and Flower have stolen all the pucks and corralled them into the back of the shoddy net Phil carries around with him in the back of his truck.

They’re currently playing keep away with Horny and Hags down the other end of the pond and Sid feels incredibly lonely standing out here all by himself.

“Hey, G,” he yells and waits for Geno to turn around before he draws his stick back and shoots the can across the ice.

Geno stops it with the blade of his skate and the force of the shot combined with the uneven surface of the ice makes Sid wobble.

He’s pretty sure he can catch himself before he topples over but proves himself wrong when his feet fly out from underneath him and he falls right on his ass.

Everyone stops what they’re doing to point and laugh and only Geno starts to skate towards him and ask if he’s okay.

“I’m fine,” Sid says and that must give Geno permission to laugh because he doubles over with his hands on his knees.

“Giant ass break your fall,” he wheezes and Sid flips him off and tries to figure out why he has to love him so much. Geno just laughs harder as Sid gets himself to his knees.

“It’s not funny,” he yells across the pond and Geno says “going to be sore, maybe you should put some ice on it,” and throws his head back and laughs.

Sid rolls his eyes and pushes himself up on one knee. “Still not funny.”

“Hilarious, you know I’m hilarious.”

“I know you’re-.” He stops suddenly when the ice groans beneath his left knee. He feels himself sink down a fraction of an inch. Geno’s laughter cuts off abruptly and the noise from the rest of the guys die away. “G-,” Sid says and he hears Geno yell his name before the ice gives way beneath him and he falls through.

He’s not cold. That’s the wildest thing.

He’s lying on the snow with his head in someone’s lap while someone else tries to wrestle him out of his coat.

“Have to get it off,” Geno says, “have to get his clothes off, he’s too cold.”

“Mmm, not too cold,” Sid slurs and reaches out for Geno with clumsy hands. Geno is soaking wet and his hair is flopping onto his forehead. Sid wants to brush it away. He wants to ask him why he’s the wet when he wasn’t the one that fell through the ice. “Geno,” he says. That’s as far as he gets before he closes his eyes.

Geno says his name and Phil is telling everyone to get him in the truck, he has the heat on.

“I’m calling 911,” someone yells.

“I can drive him to the hospital,” Phil yells back, “it’ll be faster. Lets go.”

“They say to wait, they’ll be here. Keep him warm.”

“Then get him in the fucking truck.”

“Get his coat off,” someone barks, “it fucking dragged him under, it’s waterlogged.”

“His skates did that, they were too heavy,” someone else yells.

“I checked the ice,” Tangers says, he sounds panicked and Sid frowns. “I fucking checked, we all fucking checked it, fuck, Sid.”

They all sound a million miles away and when he opens his eyes his coat is on the snow next to him and Geno is covering him with everyone else’s dry ones and rubbing his hands up and down his arms.

“Freezing,” Sid says with a shake of his head.

“Know, Sid, I know, gonna get you warm, hold on.”

“No, you’re freezing. You’re so cold.” He is inches from Sid’s face but Sid can barely see him. There’s no point in looking at the fog that’s forming in front of them so he closes his eyes again.

Geno puts his hands on his face and shakes him. “Sid, Sid, have to open eyes. Have to stay awake. Help is so close.”

Sid thinks he hears sirens but the guys are still yelling and he’s so tired. He could be dreaming.

“Don’t go back to Russia,” he says and the last thing he hears is the way Geno’s voice breaks when he cries, “don’t die on me, please.”

The next time he opens his eyes he’s in a hospital bed.

He’s wearing grey sweatpants that are at least two sizes too big and a matching sweatshirt. There are thick white socks on his feet and his hair is still damp.

I fell through the ice, he realizes and the night comes back to him in little flashes.

The ice breaking, men in blue uniforms lifting him into the back of an ambulance, flashing lights, Flower climbing in next to him and holding his hand as they shut the door.

Geno looking down at him and begging him to wake up.

Geno who was soaking wet and shaking and-

Geno jumped in after him and pulled him out. He saved his life.

Sid has to make sure he’s okay, he has to thank him.

He gets one foot on the floor when he hears his name and turns his head.

Geno is curled up in one of the chairs in the corner. His knees are presses to his chest and his arms are wrapped around his shins and when he stands up Sid can see that they’re both wearing the same unflattering outfit.

The only difference is that Geno’s sleeves end well above his wrist and the hem of his pants don’t quite make it to his ankles.

“Sid,” he says again. His voice sounds hoarse and he clears his throat before he says “you okay?”

Sid nods and Geno comes over to him and sits on the edge of his bed. “You lay back down. Get more rest.”

“You jumped in after me, didn’t you?”

Geno nods and puts his hands on Sid’s shoulders to gently guide him back down onto the thin hospital mattress. “Rest, Sid.”

Sid shakes his hands off. “You were in the water too, why aren’t you resting?”

“Not as bad as you. You took in lots of water, in there for longer. You skates were heavy enough to drag you down. Got mine off before I went in after you.”

“You could have died.”

“Didn’t think,” Genos says with a shake of his head. He looks down at his hands in his lap. “Just jump in. Had to save you.”

Sid grabs Geno’s hands. “Don’t go home.”

Geno frowns and tips his head to the side.

“Don’t go back to Russia. I know you’re not sure what you’re going to do but don’t do that. Don’t leave me.”

“Sid-.”

Sid barrels on. “We’ll figure it out. I can help. If you need a place to stay you can stay with me for as long as it takes. I think it’s bullshit that you have to have everything figured out just because you graduated. We’ll find something you love. Just…please don’t leave me.” He takes a deep breath. “I love you.”

Geno pulls his hands back. “You just saying that.”

“No I’m not.”

“Just saying that because I save you. Too emotional right now.”

“I’ve been in love with you since sophomore year. All I could think about out on the ice was how I much I love you and how much I’m going to miss you. I didn’t know what to do. I could have died without ever even kissing you-.”

Geno presses his wonderfully warm hands to the side of his face. “Love you since freshman year,” he says and Sid rolls his eyes because of course Geno _has_ to beat him. “Was thinking maybe I stay here and try to be an EMT. Maybe a firefighter. Want to help people.”

“I’m always going to be worrying about you now, aren’t I? You’re going to be jumping into water for other people.”

Geno brushes his hand through Sid’s hair. “Always going to come home to you,” he says, “promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr is [ here](https://secret-sidgeno-writer.tumblr.com/)


End file.
